Combined ice chest, seat, life preserver, and reversible back



July 30, 1963 R. s. WOODRUFF, SR 3,

COMBINED ICE CHEST, SEAT, LIFE PRESERVER, AND REVERSIBLE BACK Filed Jan. 50, 1962 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

1 I i L5 /l jg @Zifi 3,099,482 COMBINED TEE CHEST, SEAT, LEE PRESERVER, AND REVERSIBLE BACK Ralph S. Woodrnfi, r., Point Pleasant, Ni, assignor to R. S. Woodrufi & (30., Point Pleasant, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 169,825 8 Claims. (Cl. 297193) This invention relates to seats, and more particularly, to such adapted for use on boats or docks and combined with an ice chest for storing perishable material including fish.

An object of my invention is to provide a seat particularly adapted for use on boats, but which may be used any place, especially near water, and which has combined therewith an ice chest forming the under part of or support for the seat.

Another object of my invention is to provide a threepiece seat consisting of an ice holding lower compartment, a reversible back rest Wall member desirably including a back rest cushion and straps adapting it for use as a life preserver, and a seat wall member desirably including a seat cushion and adapted to have one edge portion supported on the ice chest portion and another portion supported on a part of the back rest wall member, said back rest wall member being interchangeable so that the seat may be faced one way or the other without moving the ice chest portion.

A further object of my invention is to provide a combined device as above described which is so light that it is easily carried from one place to another and may be built at low cost.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed descripiton when taken with the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and do not define the scope or limits of the invention, reference being had for the latter purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote like parts in the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a combined ice chest and seat device embodying my invention.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view of the three parts forming the device.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 33 of FIGURE 5, in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3, in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 5 is a rear elevational view, as on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3, in the direction of the arrows.

My invention relates to a seat, particularly for use on a boat or vessel used in fishing. One of its main advantages is to conserve space by combining an ice chest with a seat while, at the same time, making the seat so that access to the chest is conveniently available. The seat is made so that the direction in which the user faces may be conveniently reversed without moving the ice chest portion. Means are also provided to prevent undesired slippage or movement of the ice chest portion on the deck or other support.

Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown one embodiment of my novel combined ice chest and seat generally designated 11 and shown assembled in FIG- URES l, 3, 4 and 5. FIGURE 2 indicates that the combination seat consists of three parts, that is, a lower or ice chest portion 12, a back rest wall and attached desirably buoyant cushion part 13 and a seat wall and attached desirably buoyant cushion part 14, all of these parts fitting together as will now be explained.

3,@99,48Z Patented July 30, 1963 The ice chest and lower seat portion 12 is desirably formed of some strong, light, heat insulative material, foamed polystyrene termed Styrofoam being mentioned as an example. This ice chest portion is formed with side walls 15 and 16 and end walls 17 and 18, all upstanding from and desirably integral with a bottom wall 19 and with each other. Also upstanding from the bottom wall 19 are a pair of ribs 21 and 22, the rib 21 running parallel to, spaced from but adjacent the inner surface of the side wall 15, to form a groove 20. The rib 22 runs parallel to and spaced from but adjacent the inner surface of the side wall 16, to form a groove 30. The grooves 20 and 30 may, if desired, be formed in another way than by the use of ribs 21 and 22.

The back rest portion 13 desirably consists of a back rest wall 23, desirably formed of heat insulative material like that of the chest 11, and a cushion portion 24, secured to one side, called the front side, thereof in any desired manner. The lower edge portion 25 of said back rest wall 23 may be selectively fitted in either of the grooves 20 and 30, that is, between the rib 21 and the wall 15 or the rib 22 and the wall 16, to provide for the sea facing either to the right, as viewed in FIGURE 3, or reversely, that is, to the left, as viewed in said figure. The back rest wall 23 desirably has, as a seat-supporting portion, a rib 26 outstanding from the face to which the cushion 24 is secured and running parallel to its lower edge portion 25. The distance of the top edge of the rib 26 from said lower edge portion corresponds generally with the distance the upper edge of the ice chest side and end walls is from the top surface of the bottom wall 19, so that the rear edge portion of the wall 27, desirably formed of heat insulative material like that of the chest 11, of the seat and cushion portion 14 may rest thereon, as viewed most clearly in FIGURE 3.

Outstanding from the rear surface of the back rest wall 23 are upper and lower horizontal reinforcing ribs 28 and 29, merging at their ends into the ends of generally vertically extending reinforcing ribs 31 and 32 to define a rearwardly or outwardly opening recess 33. In this recess 33 the ends of a pair of straps 34 and 35 are desirably secured as by screws, bolts or other desired means 36. This is in order to adapt the back rest portion and cushion 13 for use as a life preserver when separated from the other members, by affording means for one in water holding on to it when it is floating in water. When not in use, the straps 34 and 35 may be held in the recess by tapes or the like 37, holding parts thereof folded, as viewed most clearly in FIGURES 3 and 5.

The wall portion 27 of the seat wall and cushion portion 14 desirably has a reinforced front edge portion 38 formed with a downwardly opening groove to telescope, as viewed in FIGURE 3 over the top edge of the wall 16, or alternatively that of the opposite wall 15. Which position is selected depends on whether the back rest part 13 is positioned as shown in FIGURE 3 or reversed to engage the side wall 16 of the ice chest portion 12. It also has depending flanges, 41 and 42, respectively overlapping the upper edge portions of the end walls 18 and 17 of said ice chest portion. 12.

Although the bottom surface of the bottom wall 19 of the ice chest portion 12 may rest directly on the deck of the vessel or other supporting surface, it is desirably provided with means to prevent slippage or undesired movement thereof along such a supporting surface. In the present embodiment, such means are shown as consisting of suction members or cups 43 connected to the bottom wall 19 as by means of posts 44 and tightly engaging the top of a deck or other supporting surface 45.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have devised a convenient seat combined with a lower portion which may function as an ice chest, thus providing for the storage of perishable material without using any additional deck or other supporting area. At the same time, I have provided for access to such ice chest by merely removing the seat and back members of the combined device. These members are adapted for association with said chest so that the seat may face in one direction or in the opposite direction, as elected by the user, without movement of the chest portion.

Although a certain material has been specified as desirable for making all of the wall portions of the three main parts of the combined seat and chest, yet I do not wish to be limited to this as other materials may be sub- .stituted, provided they have the desired heat-insulative properties, strength and resistance to moisture. It will also be understood that good heat insulation is less important in the back rest and seat wall portions 23 and 27 than in the ice chest portion 12. However, by making all of the walls of light material such as Styrofoam, a combined seat and ice chest, weighing less than 12 pounds when empty, may be constructed.

It is desirable to form the cushions 24 and 46 of foam rubber or other similar buoyant material and the Walls of the members 12, 13 and 14 of foamed plastic, not only for ease in carriage but also so that they, or some of them, especially the part 13, may function as life preservers or a life preserver if need be.

-I claim:

1. A combined ice chest and seat comprising a unitary open-topped box formed as side and end walls upstanding from a bottom wall and made of heat-insulative material, ribs upstanding from the inner surface of said bottom wall, respectively running parallel to and each spaced from but adjacent the inner surface of one of said side Walls, a back rest wall made of heat-insulative material, the lower edge of which fits between a selected one of said side walls and the rib adjacent thereto, said back rest wall having a rib extending parallel to its bottom edge, a back rest cushion secured to said back rest wall on the same side but above said rib, reinforcing ribs extending from the other face of said back rest wall and defining an outwardly-opening recess, a seat wall made of heat-insulative material, with a reinforced front edge portion formed with a downwardly-opening groove to telescope over the top edge of a selected one of the box side walls and end flanges to overlap the top edges of the box end walls, the rear edge portion of said. seat wall resting on the first-mentioned rib of the positioned back rest wall, and a seat cushion secured to the upper surface of said seat wall.

2. A combined ice chest and seat comprising a unitary open-topped box, formed as side and end walls upstanding from a bottom wall, a seat wall and a back rest wall, said back rest wall and said box having coacting portions including said side walls for supporting said back rest wall in vertical position selectively against either of said side walls with a part of said back rest wall extending into said box and another part of the back rest wall projecting from said box, and said seat wall being formed to coact with the top edges of said side and end walls of the box and with said back rest wall for removable and reversible setting of the seat wall on the box and for closing the open top of the box.

3. A combined ice chest and seat as defined in claim 2 wherein said back rest wall is buoyant and there are arm straps secured to said back rest Wall for attachment of the wall to a body, whereby said back rest wall will serve as a life preserver in water.

4. A combined ice chest and seat comprising a unitary open-topped box formed as side and end walls upstanding from a bottom Wall, means forming grooves along the inner surface of said bottom wall running along the inner surfaces of said side Walls, a back rest Wall the lower edge of which fits in a selected one of said grooves to hold it in place, and a seat wall with depending edge portions to telescope with respect to the top edges of the box side end and walls, said back rest wall having a portion projecting from its front face, and the rear edge portion of said seat wall separably resting on said portion of the back rest wall when the back rest wall and the seat wall are in place.

5. A combined ice chest and seat as recited in claim 4 wherein the back rest Wall is buoyant and there are reinforcing ribs extending from the back face of the back rest wall and defining an outwardly opening recess, and with the addition of straps the ends of which are secured to said back rest wall in said recess to provide for holding on to said back rest portion to permit its use as a life preserver.

6. A combined ice chest and seat as recited in claim 4, wherein there are ribs upstanding from the inner surface of said bottom wall respectively running parallel to and each spaced from but adjacent the inner surface of one of said side walls, in order to form said grooves along the inner surface of said bottom wall, running along the inner surfaces of said side walls.

7. A combined ice chest and seat as recited in claim 4, wherein said back rest wall has a rib extending parallel to its bottom edge, said rib being the portion on which the rear edge portion of the seat wall rests when said back rest wall is in place.

8. A combined ice chest and seat comprising a unitary open-topped box formed as side and end walls upstanding from a bottom Wall, ribs upstanding from the inner surface of said bottom wall, respectively running parallel to and each spaced from but adjacent the inner surface of one of said side walls, a back rest wall the lower edge of which fits between a selected one of said side walls and the rib adjacent thereto, said back rest Wall having a rib extending parallel to its bottom edge, a back rest cushion secured to said back rest wall on the same side but above said rib, reinforcing ribs extending from the other face of said back rest wall and defining an outwardly opening recess, a seat wall having a reinforced front edge portion formed with a downwardly opening groove to telescope over the top edge of a selected one of the box side wall-s and end flanges to overlap the top edges of the box end walls, the rear edge portion of said seat wall resting on the first-mentioned rib of the positioned back rest wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,357,214 McDole Aug. 29, 1944 2,552,641 Morrison May 15, 1951 2,552,693 Smith May 15, 1951 2,620,024 Rietman Dec. 2, 1952 2,812,227 Hill Nov. 5, 1957 2,812,614 Ladyman Nov. 12, 1957 2,813,575 Bode Nov. 19, 1957 2,929,076 Ake et al Mar. 22, 1960 2,971,568 Rorie et al. Feb. 14, 1961 2,989,115 Egles June 20, 1961 3,022,524 Hultquist Feb. 27, 1962 

1. A COMBINED ICE CHEST AND SEAT COMPRISING A UNITARY OPEN-TOPPED BOX FORMED AS SIDE AND END WALLS UPSTANDING FROM A BOTTOM WALL AND MADE OF HEAT-INSULATIVE MATERIAL, RIBS UPSTANDING FROM THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID BOTTOM WALL, RESPECTIVELY RUNNING PARALLEL TO AND EACH SPACED FROM BUT ADJACENT THE INNER SURFACE OF ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS, A BACK REST WALL MADE OF HEAT-INSULATIVE MATERIAL, THE LOWER EDGE OF WHICH FITS BETWEEN A SELECTED ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS AND THE RIB ADJACENT THERETO, SAID BACK REST WALL HAVING A RIB EXTENDING PARALLEL TO ITS BOTTOM EDGE, A BACK REST CUSHION SECURED TO SAID BACK REST WALL ON THE SAME SIDE BUT ABOVE SAID RIB, REINFORCING RIBS EXTENDING FROM THE OTHER FACE OF SAID BACK REST WALL AND DEFINING AN OUTWARDLY-OPENING RECESS, A SEAT WALL MADE OF HEAT-INSULATIVE MATERIAL, WITH A REINFORCED FRONT EDGE PORTION FORMED WITH A DOWNWARDLY-OPENING GROOVE TO TELESCOPE OVER THE TOP EDGE OF A SELECTED ONE OF THE BOX SIDE WALLS AND END FLANGES TO OVERLAP THE TOP EDGES OF THE BOX END WALLS, THE REAR EDGE PORTION OF SAID SEAT WALL RESTING ON THE FIRST-MENTIONED RIB OF THE POSITIONED BACK REST WALL, AND A SEAT CUSHION SECURED TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID SEAT WALL. 